Mercy
by trashflavoredtrash
Summary: Avery moved to a new town where fairytales were reality, a reality she had no desire to be apart of. Jacob Black wanted to be happy. Bella could not have picked someone worse. Jasper Hale was hungry...
1. Pop

Avery's face still remained twisted in concentration though Melanie had repeated and further explained herself several times already.

"Avery? Are you listening to me?"

She nodded, unable to reply. For some reason, she couldn't find her voice - something that was uncharacteristic. Her face slowly became impassive as she stared back into her mother's hard, blue eyes. She swallowed, forcing the lump in my throat and knot in her stomach down. Even at a time like this, she would not let Melanie see her weakness.

"I've tried so hard with you honey," she started again, her voice faultering. "I gave you everything. Why would you do this to me?"

Avery scoffed, her sudden change in mood slightly startling. "You've tried so hard with me? Honestly, Melanie. This is not the time to try and lie to keep your little world perfect. You sent me to live with William and let's be frank, the only reason I got stuck living with you again is because he ran into 'trouble'" she said, airquoting the last word. Her voice dripped with relentless sarcasm.

Melanie looked as if she had been slapped across her face. Her mouth turned downwards slightly into a scowl.

"So, my dear mother, send me away to live with my grandmother that you've failed to mention these past sixteen years. It doesn't matter to me." Avery smirked slightly.

"It doesn't matter to you? Nothing matters to you! This is exactly why I don't want you around anymore!" she screeched, bringing her fists down on the table. "You're ungrateful! You come in and out of my house whenever you feel like, like this is some damn motel! This isn't supposed to be salvation for you, it's supposed to be hell!"

Avery rolled her eyes at her dramatics. Did she have to do this every time she put a flask to her lips?

"It's ironic that you would sit there, well.. stand now, and try to point out all my flaws. Do you ever look at yourself? Or look at me closely enough to realise that my mistakes, as you so kindly put them are a manifestation of your parenting? Or lack thereof," she rebutted flatly.

Avery watched as her nostrils flared with anger, her temper visibly rising. The motion was so swift and quick her eyes barely registered the movement. Her hand came down hard and fast on her face. Avery's left cheek felt hot where her right hand had connected, but Avery quickly saw that Melanie had not received the reaction she was seeking; Avery's eyes remained dry, hard, and mimicking.

"We leave tomorrow morning," she spat icily, leaving the room for undoubtedly, her flask.

Avery lay awake that night as sleep evaded her. It would be her last night in Los Angeles, and Avery didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to any of her friends. She crawled out of bed and slid on a pair of jeans before crawling through the window out into the night. Avery would spend the night with her friends.

"I miss you so much already," Kiki bawled, her blonde hair flopping violently as she shuddered and cried. "We've been best friends since we were eight.. What am I going to do without you?" Another round of hysterics.

Adam put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to reassure her, but he was horrible at hiding his emotions. His lips were pursed tightly together. The flamboyantly homosexual was never quiet. It was going to be hard leaving her two best friends behind.

He leaned over and embraced her, an action that took her off guard. He pressed his lips to Avery's cheek and whispered softly against her ear, "I'll miss you Ave. Best friends, always." A tear rolled down her cheek.

The flight from LAX to Washington was long and gruelling. Her grandmother, Aunt Clara was too old to drive, so she was sending some of the boys from her community to pick her up. Like that was reassuring. Instead of a stranger Avery was related to picking her up in a new area, it would be a complete stranger.

The plane touched down, and Avery rolled her eyes. It was overcast outside to her dismay. All her skirts and tank tops would go to waste, clearly.

"You're Avery?" A tall, large, russet colored boy asked. he was nearly seven feet tall, and had handsome features. His ear length black hair flopped around his face playfully. The old Avery from LA would have flirted with this boy, but realising that he was the equivallent to her own personal mortitioner, she scowled.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said laughing. "I'm Jake." He stuck out his hand for her to shake, but she just glared at it. "You're going to like La Push."

* * *

**A/N: Jake deserves happiness with someone real, not a half vampire half human thing. I'm not a fan of Bella, so expect Bella bashing in the near future. Read and review! I'm also writing 2 other fan fics, so don't shoot me when I take long to update.**


	2. How You've Changed

_Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;_

_None but ourselves can free our mind. - _Bob Marley.

* * *

"Which ones are your bags?" Jacob asked. She pointed to two grey bags on the carousel. He took them for her without asking, something that annoyed Avery. Normally, she would have snapped, but she continued to walk in silence. She pulled her iPod from her tote bag and began playing her favorite song - Beethoven's Pathetique, second movement. It prevented him from talking to her or asking questions while they walked. She looked up and caught Jacob staring at her again. He looked away and his ears twitched while his mouth pulled into a smile. He held the door open for her, but she made a point of walking by him without thanking him.

Avery tilted her head back towards the sky, as she normally did whenever she exited a building. Rather than being greeted by sunlight, she found something new. The dark grey sky that billowed above encased the sun, not permitting any light to shine through. The humidity in the air was thick, as if it had just rained, yet the dry asphalt indicated otherwise. Overall, the desolate and despondent weather could not have reflected Avery's mood. She could feel her skin crawl beneath her black leather bomber jacket. She imagined the tiny pores screaming in terror at the idea of being deprived of its regular dosage of Vitamin D - her skin was addicted to the sun, a regular UV ray junkie.

"Is the weather always like this?" Avery asked as she tucked away her ipod. She was ready to talk now. Her voice was quiet and almost unrecognizable, yet her expressions were the same as back in LA: cold, hard and unforgiving.

"Unfortunately, yes," Jacob sighed, a small smile on his face.

"If it's unfortunate, why are you smiling?" she asked. The question came off more like a demand. The tall boy chuckled again and a low rumble emitted from his chest, before looking over at Avery with a peculiar expression on his face. He reminded her of a giant puppy.

She hated dogs.

Jacob's car was small, quaint and looked economical. It probably got good gas mileage. Her car back home was the exact opposite. William had treated her to a black Range Rover that burnt enough gas to fuel several of Jacob's cars in one day.

"Your car's small," she said pointedly, her small nose scrunching together in a repugnant manner. Jacob was impervious to her attitude and snickered.

"It's a decent size," he replied.

"No, it's not. It's down right tiny," Avery rebutted.

"No it's not. It's economical."

"It's petite."

"Don't make it sound feminine. It's a very manly car," Jacob scowled.

"That's because it is feminine Jacob! You can't even fit into it!"

"Insulting a man's car is synonymous with insulting his manhood, his masculinity - all things testosterone filled. I can fit in!" He threw he bags into the trunk with ease and walked to the driver's side. He gestured towards the door in an elaborate manner that had Avery's lips twisting upwards. Jacob crouched low to get into his car and ended up hitting his head on the side as he shut the door. He let out a growl of pain and swore under his breath.

"See!" Avery said through a fit of giggles. Jacob poked his head out of the window and half-scowled, half-smiled. It ended up as a charming, crooked smile.

"Get in."

Avery was still smiling when she climbed into the rabbit, as Jacob called it. "What kind of car did you have back home?"

"A Range," she admitted sheepishly. She felt the low purr of the car as it came to life and started towards La Push.

Jacob cocked an eyebrow incredulously. "Do you have no regard for the environment?" he practically blurted. The goofy expression on his face sent Avery into hysterical laughter. "Are you even old enough to drive?"

Avery frowned, obviously disconcerted by his comment. "Are you implying that I don't look old enough to drive, Jacob Black? I haven't even known you for an hour and you're already insulting me."

"Sixteen isn't old enough to drive," Jacob replied acutely.

Avery grew quiet immediately. She could feel Jacob's eyes on her but she kept her own fixed on the blurring road and trees through the window, which she had her nose pressed against.

"How'd you know I'm sixteen?" she asked, her voice barely audible. She had a feeling Jacob could hear her anyway.

"Clara can't stop talking about you," he replied simply. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes." Avery thought about her loving grandmother in contrast to Melanie. She remembered Clara's wrinkled golden brown skin, wispy grey hair that was once auburn, and kind, gentle brown eyes framed by a petite nose and high cheekbones. Though Melanie was her daughter, she was the exact opposite. She had cold ice blue eyes, long black hair that flowed like liquid ebony and skin like porcelain, and straight facial features. She was beautiful, in the sense that everything was in it's right place. Much to Avery's relief, she had inherited more of Clara's features. She had golden brown skin, long auburn hair and large honey brown eyes - nothing about her resembled Melanie.

It also pained her heart to think that Clara had spoken highly of her after all the things she had done. Melanie must have told her everything for her to agree to take her. Why would a woman as old as Clara take on a handful like her? Avery was only a bundle of trouble, and the cigarettes tucked in the side of her bag was only more proof. Was it because, despite all these years, Clara still loved her? Had her memory remained clear after all these years? The memories of the small sun baby with the bob haircut, grinning broadly with two small front teeth.

"I love you Claree!" the child would beam into her grandmother's face.

Though she was only four, Avery remembered her grandmother distinctly. She realized something as the car pushed on towards La Push - she was afraid. She was afraid of disappointing Clara. She was afraid of being rejected by the only person that had promised to love her unconditionally and remained faithful to it would turn her back on her. William had turned his back on Avery the day he was locked up. Melanie turned her back on her the day she picked up that cursed flask. Would Clara walk out on her too? Did the old woman have the strength to love her? She quickly wiped a tear away from her cheek as a plethora of thoughts bombarded her already muddled mind.

"I turn seventeen soon," she rebutted after a long silence.

"How soon?" Jacob asked, his interest in her clearly piqued.

"In November." He chuckled to himself again - something that was beginning to to annoy her. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, older women amuse me, that's all," he said with a grin.

"What would you know about older women?" Avery snapped, her voice low and tone acrid.

"Lots," he said, after a period of time. "I don't want to talk about me anymore. I want to learn about you. Why are you coming to La Push?"

"Can you stop the car for a second?" she asked abruptly. Jacob obliged with a confused expression on his face, and pulled over to the side of the highway. Avery glanced around quickly before walking into the nearby woods and pulling a cigarette out from her bag. She made sure that the highway was still visible from the spur tree she rested against as she lit the tiny white stick between her fingers.

"What are you doing?" he resounded, coming towards me. He was there in a few steps. Avery never saw how tall he was until all six feet seven inches were towering over her. He had nearly a foot over her.

"It's cold," she mumbled, taking a long drag.

He swatted the cigarette away from her and macerated it with his boot. Avery let out a groan of protest before reaching for another. As soon as it was lit, he grabbed it from her hand and crushed it.

"Smoking's bad," he protested. "We're wasting time."

"Can you stop that?" she said impatiently, reaching for a third. She raised the lighter to the end of the stick perched between her lips, when Jacob snatched it from her. With a small cracking sound, the lighter broke and fell to the ground. A pang of irritation washed over her when she realized that Jacob had broken her favorite lighter. None the less, she was determined to have a cigarette.

"You're such a pain in the ass," she grumbled as she walked away from him, fishing in her bag for a box of matches.

"I'm a pain in the ass? Then tell me, why are you coming to La Push?" he blurted.

"Excuse me?" Avery spun on her heel and strutted over to him, her nostrils flared with anger. She leveled his dark gaze with one of her own. "You don't know me, Jacob Black, don't pretend like you do. You don't know what's best for me, and don't you _ever _try to tell me what to do ever again," she spat, her face inches away from his own. "You will regret it."

Avery was certain she saw Jacob's body shudder with anger as he rolled his neck in an attempt to calm down. He did not follow her when she returned to the rabbit. Rather, he left her waiting for about ten minutes before returning silently. He spoke when the both of them were in the car.

"I'm sorry about my behavior earlier," Jacob said, his voice filled with regret. Avery hated people who were emotional rollercoasters. She was one already and didn't need anyone else like her in her life.

"S'okay." She stared out the window again as the car pulled off. "I guess you didn't really need to ask me why I'm here, you already knew," she added curtly. He let out an exasperated sigh. Somehow, it was comforting that she was able to agitate Jacob - it wasn't one sided.

"Clara only mentioned that there was trouble back in Los Angeles between you and your mother. I assumed you were the one making trouble based on-" he nodded towards her bag, indicating the cigarettes. "But I shouldn't be so quick to jump to assumptions."

"You're right about that."

"Cigarettes smell bad anyway. I like the way you smell."

"The way I _smell?" _Avery made a show of sniffing herself that caused Jacob to laugh his husky laugh - sticking her nose on her jacket, between her legs, in her hair and armpits. However, with all her sniffing - Avery was unable to smell anything.

"Yes, the way you smell. It's almost like honey and pears, but not _sickeningly sweet,_" he answered, the last words rolling off of his tongue with a bitter edge. Avery placed her hair down and stared at Jacob for a moment before redirecting her attention to the surrounding area.

Jacob informed her that they would be approaching a town called Forks. As they grew closer, the area grew greener and greener. She disliked it more and more. The trees were green, the grass was green, the flowers were green, and moss encompassed anything that derived from the normal green such as the bark of trees, parts of sidewalks and driveways and even the defenseless asphalt.

"Life suckers," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" Jacob asked quickly.

"Oh," Avery blushed when she sensed that Jacob had heard her. "The moss. It's everywhere. It's like it sucks the life out of everything."

Another smile flitted about Jacob's lips. Avery had the feeling that she was missing out on some inside joke.

"Clara told me you'd be going to school in Forks rather than La Push cause you're not a res-baby," he told her. "It's not as big as the school you're used to. Probably around three hundred kids there." Avery was disinterested in school though as she observed the tiny green town of Forks. As the car rolled up to the stop light, Avery noticed something peculiar across the street. Standing by a silver Volvo and flashy red BMW were some of the most beautiful people she had ever set her eyes on. They were all a flawless ivory, with glistening topaz eyes. There were two females, one blonde and the other tiny, with short black hair. Two boys stood nearby, one large with curly dark brown hair and dimples, and the other with blonde hair and a pained expression on his face. A beautiful boy with bronze hair in a disarray stood next to a plain girl who clutched to him protectively. Avery could not tear her eyes away from the group. An unusual breeze blew, sending Avery's hair whipping from it's bun into her face.

Before she knew it, the beautiful group of people were staring at her - particularly the blonde boy who's mouth had now twisted into a grimace. He kept his dark eyes fixed on Avery as he started towards the car, the brawny boy grabbing for him.

"Jacob," Avery whispered frantically as the boy grew crossed the parking lot. The tall one and pixie girl were now standing in front of him in an attempt to get him to turn back. He was at least two hundred meters away now. Avery glanced over at Jacob who's hands were locked onto the steering wheel, a low growl emitting from his chest. She looked back over at the group - the blonde boy was still staring at her with a loathing expression with the big one holding on to him. The pixie like girl was standing in front of him, Avery assumed, consoling him. The blonde girl was shaking her head in repulsion while the bronze boy was kissing the plain girl's head top.

Jacob sped off as soon as the light had changed.

"What the fuck just happened?!" Avery screamed as soon as she couldn't see the group anymore.

"I don't know," Jacob replied through gritted teeth. He shuddered again like he had back by the highway, but his eyes were dark and remained fixed on the road. "We're approaching La Push now," he continued, disregarding the events of a few minutes ago. Avery tried to follow his lead, ignoring what had just happened. Jacob would have to tell her eventually. She stared out the window again, something that was becoming a favorite habit of hers, taking in the scenery.

Gold and deep blue waves crashed onto sparkling ebony rocks, sending a wall of multicolored foam flying on to the gray speckled sand of the La Push beach. The ever present forest of Forks loomed at the corners of the beach, but ceased at the cliff where the beach started - as if the trees and moss were not permitted to pass. At that point, a rainbow of flowers emerged in bright colors in contrast to the dark forest. In essence, La Push was beautiful. She could see herself calling this place home.

"Do you mind if we make a quick stop?" he asked, his tone light and friendly, like he was at the airport. Avery shook her head and he flashed her a small smile as they drove across the town of La Push.

Avery felt Jacob's eyes on her for the millionth time. She met his eyes and came across something unexpected. He had a soft smile on his face, and a peaceful almost loving expression across his face.

"Your hair is really pretty," he said while she tied it back up into a messy bun on top of her head with a pen.

"Thanks," she replied nervously. She didn't see how it could possibly be pretty - she hadn't washed or brushed it in three days as a result of Melanie.

"Yeah, it's got a bunch of different colors in there, like blonde and brown and shit," he continued, his eyes now back on the road. "I like the red-brown though." Another small chuckle. No boy had told her that her hair was pretty either. She had always admired the reddish-brown color with blonde and brown streaks that naturally appeared as she aged. Avery never thought it was something a boy would notice. The car pulled up to a quaint little white house adorned with colorful flowers at the front. It had large windows on the side, and Avery could smell food.

Several large boys with similar russet-colored skin and black hair emerged from the house.

"Jacob man, you took forever!" a shorter, muscular boy complained, coming over and pushing Jake playfully.

"Seriously, I thought you died or something," a skinnier boy with long black hair said.

"I thought you went for the girl. Did you drop her home already? Is she hot?" the shorter one continued to interrogate. The skinnier boy egged him on in the third degree.

"Um, guys-" Jake was interrupted.

"Is she hot?" the taller one asked. The wind blew again, and Avery's hair shifted slightly. "Do you smell something sweet?"

"I hope she had a pair of big old knock-"

"I'm right here," Avery said, raising her eyebrows at the muscular boy, emerging from behind the car.

The other two boys that had hung back burst out in laughter. The tall one bit down his lip trying to suppress a smile, while the muscular one punched him.

"I'm Quil, Quil Ateara," he said boldy, introducing himself. Avery decided that this boy was bold, and was most likely going to be trouble. He stuck out a hand, which she shook.

"Avery, Avery Ross."

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Miss Ross," Quil said, taking her hand and placing his lips against it. Avery quickly pulled her hand away but smiled at him so that she didn't hurt his feelings. She wiped her hand against the back of her jeans. Jake slapped Quil across the back of head and glared at him.

"What?!" Jake continued to glare.

"Oh. OH. OH SHIT," Quil said, his eyes widening. "OH SHIT! Do you believe this shit Embry!?" The taller boy nodded.

"Was that the smell?" Embry asked Jacob. He nodded in acknowledgement.

"WE HAVE TO GO TELL SAM! AND EMILY! JARED, PAUL, C'MERE!"

Avery stood watching as the large group of boys huddled whispering, glancing back at her every second. Jake came and took a place next to her.

"I'm sorry about them," he mumbled shyly. He looked like a puppy again, and suddenly empathy washed over her. Avery knew what it was like to have friends embarrass her. As a matter of fact, Kiki and Adam did that to her on a daily basis.

"You don't have to apologize," she said, nudging him with her arm. Jake smiled sheepishly at her before leading her inside to meet Emily.

"Em, is Sam here?" Emily's beauty was immeasurable in Avery's opinion. She held an exotic beauty. Her long black hair was combed neatly into a braid, tumbling down her shoulders against the copper of her skin. Her eyes sparkle and shone with warm, with the beauty of a woman that was loved. She had full lips that were currently turned upwards in a smile.

"He's in the shower right now, he'll be down in a second," she replied, turning to face Avery. Three violent red lines dragged down her face, turning the other side of her smile into a permanent grimace. Avery didn't stare at all - she was still mesmerized by Emily's beauty. "And you are?"

"This is Avery Ross. She just moved to La Push - Clara's granddaughter," Jacob said on Avery's behalf.

"I should have recognized that, Clara always shows me pictures of her when she was younger - you look like a younger version of her," Emily gushed. Avery smiled nervously. Sam soon came bounded downstairs. He did not acknowledge Jacob or Avery at first, he only saw Emily. He came over to her with loving eyes, like a child seeing it's first flower or sunset, and kissed her from the top of her scars down to her lips. After he repeated this three times, Emily cleared her throat with a smile and nodded towards Avery and Jake.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Hey Jake, and Avery is it?" he said, turning toward them. He was large and burly, like the rest of them but did not have the same restless look. His demeanor was calm and possessive, almost like an alpha-dog. At the same time, he wore his pain visibly on his face around Emily. He held her close and only half-smiled, while she was constantly beaming.

"Yes, I'm Avery. Nice to meet you Sam," she said, speaking before Jacob could. She shook his large hand and smiled.

"Clara's mentioned so much about you," he started in his deep voice.

"I don't mean to interrupt the both of you, but I need to talk to you about something Sam," Jake interjected.

"Is it really that important?" he asked, glancing back over at me.

"Yes," Jake said, leading Sam out of the room.

"What do you think of La Push so far?" Emily asked, busying herself around the kitchen. She looked as if she were bred to be a house wife. Her voice oozed with compassion and understanding of someone way older than her.

"It's gorgeous, and I love the fact that it's not as green as Forks. Only turn off is the bleak weather," Avery said, taking a seat by the kitchen counter and playing with a banana.

"Go ahead, honey," she said when she saw Avery playing with the fruit. "You must be starving after all that traveling." Avery nodded and gladly ate it. She couldn't help but wonder about Emily's scars. Avery didn't see it as something that ruined Emily's beauty but rather as something that defined it. The scars were a sign of her turmoil, her battle that she was able to overcome. It was an outward sign of an inner silent strength. It was probably the reason why Emily was able to love so much and so deeply as she did with Sam - she was strong enough to. Avery envied that strength. She shook her hair out of it's bun and let it float down her back.

After a while, Sam and Jacob returned with 'the pack', as Emily called them. The boys looked unreasonably large in the tiny yellow kitchen. Jacob's face was etched with worry lines that eased only slightly when he saw Avery's face.

"I should take you to Clara. She's probably worried sick about you," Jacob said, his voice strained. He reached out for Avery to take his hand but stopped half way and stuck it into the pocket of his jeans. "Ready?"

Avery could see the pain in Jacob's eyes. He was struggling with something, and was going to seek comfort from her but stopped. Why did he stop? "It was nice meeting all you," Avery said politely to the group. They all smiled warmly. "Thanks again for having me, Emily."

"Not a problem, love. Come by anytime," she said between giggles as Sam kissed her again. She heard Quil feign a gagging noise as she exited the house.

"Emily's lovely," Avery said once they were outside, suddenly desperate to make conversation with Jacob. He only grunted in agreement. The only sound was the crunching of their feet against the gravel.

"Jake, are you okay?" she said, reaching out to him. She held onto his bare arm, and found it smoldering hot, yet didn't let go. She pleaded with him with large eyes. He looked down at her with his own dark pair and sighed in defeat, his stance relaxing. He walked, holding her hand to the rabbit and leaned against the trunk before pulling her closer to him.

"What would you do if you thought you were happy, then suddenly realized in a moment that you weren't living? That what you had before can't compare with what you had? As if you had seen the world clearly for the first time ever, all in one person?" Avery could only stare at dumbly as he continued with his revelation. She would have never imagined that the carefree cheerful boy was struggling so much.

"It's hard, trying to pull yourself together after being broken. It's even harder when you find exactly what you need to heal all your wounds, and have that threatened, without even having the opportunity to start mending your wounds, or to mend someone else's. To find exactly what you want and need and have the chance to give that to someone taken away. To have your first chance at real happiness jeopardized," he mused. Avery felt like a doll next to Jacob's tall frame. He played with a few locks of her hair that had roamed free.

Jacob was a roller coaster of emotions, like she was, yet for some reason it didn't bother her as much anymore. Sympathy washed over her. She hugged him, pressing her body against his in an uncharacteristic attempt to comfort him. "It's going to be okay, Jake," she mumbled against his chest before breaking free of him to look up at his face. He smiled at her before heading towards the passenger's side of the car to open it for her.

He chattered all the way to Clara's house about his friends, school, and family. Avery discovered he had older sisters, and he was the only boy. His mother had passed away quite a few years ago. His father was a cripple that took care of himself for the most part. He had no pets, but liked dogs (for some reason he chuckled about this). Avery decided against telling him about her dislike for dogs. His favorite foods were mexican, like hers. He had never been outside of Washington until recently (he chuckled again). Jacob was warm and friendly, despite everything that he was going through. He had the ability to put on a convincing facade, but Avery wondered how long it lasted until a loose cannon like Jake broke down.

Clara's house was small and quaint, like most of the houses on the reservation. It had an old, rustic feel with it's shingled roof and brown walls. Multicolor flowers like Emily's adorned the side of the house. A large oak tree that from the looks of it had been around for ages grew in the middle of the yard, stretching over the hug the side of the house. The yard wasn't unkempt, nor was it neglected. Broken bits of cobblestone lead towards the front door, which a tiny Clara was standing by, beaming.

Clara was beautiful, even as an old woman. Her face wasn't plagued many sags or wrinkles, leaving the seventy year old woman looking fifty. Her hair was in a messy bun, similar to Avery's, with a chopstick in the middle. She wore an oversized plaid flannel shirt that probably belonged to her husband and jeans beneath. Her bright smile was luminescent against her skin.

"I was starting to wonder if you stole my Ave, Jacob Black," she accused with a smile as she approached the car. Was it possible for this woman to smile wider?

"I was certainly tempted to," Jacob said, stealing a glance towards Avery before kneeling to hug the old woman. She gladly embraced the giant boy like her own son before heading over to Avery.

"I've missed you honey," she said before pulling Avery into an embrace. Avery patted her back awkwardly, unsure of what to say. She hadn't seen this woman in years. She had been forbidden to. Good job, Melanie.

"I have so much to tell you!" she squeeled, clapping her hands. "Jake, bring the bags inside like the gentleman we'd all love you to be."

"We?" Avery asked uneasily. The last thing she wanted was more people.

"Oh yes! Jake's dad Billy is here, and Sue Clearwater and her daughter, Leah, and Charlie Swan and his daughter, Bella." Avery's heart nearly stopped beating. She really didn't _want _ to be around people, especially old people and their kids who were forced to be here. Avery noticed Jacob's jaw harden. "You're going to love them all," Clara rambled on, oblivious to her granddaughter's silent agony plastered on her face.

"Jake, are you staying?" Avery whispered, panic rising in her voice as they entered the house. She looked up at him, her golden brown eyes pleading.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea. Sam wanted some help around the yard, and I promised him I would. Billy can catch a ride home with Charlie," Jacob said, his eyes darting around the room. Avery could sense that he was lying, but she wasn't going to call him out on his bluff. He didn't want to stay for whatever reason, and she would find out another day - if she decided that they would become friends. She wasn't sure if she liked Jacob or not. She could feel Jacob's eyes on her, and refused to let him read any sign of disappointment on her face.

"Thanks again," she said flatly, gesturing towards the door in an obvious motion. "Bye." Again, his dark eyes were searching for any sign of emotion. He would be disappointed - Avery Ross was a brick wall. And mighty, mighty, just like the song said.

"It was really nice meeting you," Jake said, as he walked slowly through the door and turned to face her.

"Yup."

"You can always come to me, you know, if you need help finding your way around La Push or Forks-"

"-I'll keep that in mind-"

"-Or if you need someone to talk to-"

"-I'm not a talker." She leveled him with a cold glare. It was revenge for ditching her with a house filled with strangers. She slammed the door in his face and walked towards the source of the noise in the house - the family room, where everyone was undoubtedly gathered.

Avery's eyes immediately fixed on Bella Swan - she was the plain girl with the copper haired boy from earlier. The copper haired boy who looked like the gold haired boy, who now hated her. Bella's head shot up when Avery entered the room, her eyes wide with realization.

"Do you already know my Bells?" Chief Swan asked with a broad, friendly grin on his face.

"No," Avery replied more sharply than she had intended. He wasn't taken aback by the least.

"She goes to Forks, like you'll be. I think you'll be in the same year-"

"Probably not," Avery said abruptly, deciding against explaining the rest to him. _Is everyone in this backwater town oblivious to my rudeness? Christ. _Clara glanced over at Avery almost knowingly. Her eyes scolded her, telling her to be polite. Avery rolled her eyes in response and plastered on a fake smile Charlie mistook for politeness. "Actually Chief Swan, I'll be a senior at Forks. I took mainly AP courses back home, so I only need a few more credits here at Forks to graduate." _Melanie did something good, at least I don't have to spend another year in lackluster high school. _Avery never made notes. She never paid attention in class. It just wasn't done. The minute she went home, she sat down and poured over books, utilizing the photographic memory that only 3% of the world was gifted with. As a result, she had straight A's in all honors and AP courses. William had sent her to a private high school in a futile attempt to challenge her academically - all he did was prolong her high school experience.

Avery knew for a fact that she had more than enough credits to graduate - she'd had them since her sophmore year. However, she would entertain the idea of a 'senior' year of high school.

"Wow Clara, you've got a smart one on your hands," Charlie beamed. "I'll leave you two to get better acquainted." Charlie wasn't the type to be talking to bratty, know it all kids from LA, Avery observed. Avery scrutinized Bella with a critical eye. She was clearly fashion missing, only adding to her 'Plain Jane' demeanor. She secretly hoped that all of Forks' girls didn't look like that - it would make Avery stand out as a walking diva. Which she certainly wasn't. She preferred to paint herself as the misunderstood rebel. Bella fiddled with her finger nails nervously while Avery stared out the window, uninterested.

Bella was a vast contrast to Avery. She wore a simple, black long sleeved shirt, jeans and a hooded jacket and conveses while Avery opted for something more extravagant - a graphic t shirt, black shorts with leggings underneath, a plaid scarf beneath her bomber jacket with matching purple booties and sunglasses. Although there was no need for sunglasses in this corner of Washington, she perched them on her head like a close friend.

"At least you had some warning about the weather here. I had no clue it would be so rainy and cold when I first came to Forks," Bella said, trying to make conversation. Avery looked up, surveying Bella's face. Nervous, awkward, uneasy. Avery could tell that she was naturally awkward around people, but she was nervous and uneasy about something else. The brown hair and facial features were familiar.

"I think I saw you earlier," Avery said after a brief moment of silence.

"Oh, probably not. Maybe someone else who looks like me," Bella said unconvincingly. _Now _she knew Bella was lying and hiding something.

"No, I'm pretty certain it was you. Forks isn't that big, Bella." Panic flashed across her eyes as she tried to calculate her next lie. Avery straightened up herself to face Bella better. "You were with that group of hella' pale people."

"Oh, well in that case it was probably me."

"Who were those kids you with?" It was something she didn't want Avery to ask.

"Oh, the Cullens." She was saying 'oh' too often. "Edward's kinda my boyfriend, so I was out with him and his family."

"What are their names?" Another unwanted question.

"Well um, there's Edward Cullen, he has this kinda bronze hair-" the one touching her. That explains it. "Emmett's really big, and tall -" the bodyguard. "-He's with Rosalie Hale, the blonde girl-" Miss Apathetic. "-Erm, there's Alice Cullen, kinda short with black hair-" bodyguard number two. "And Jasper Hale, her boyfriend." Bella divulged this information to Avery with an air of reluctance that did not go unnoticed by her. Jasper had been the one to look at her with such hate and loathing.

"Bella, I don't mean to come off as forward or anything, but I was wondering, since I don't know my way around any at all, could you come for me tomorrow? For school, that is," Avery said, trying her best to sound bashful.

Bella nodded in agreement, a small smile appearing on her lips. "I'd love to. You and I kinda have a lot in common," she admitted sheepishly. "I came from a sunny big place, to tiny green Forks. Maybe you'll adjust better with help." Avery beamed at her, a row of perfect white teeth popping against her golden skin.

"Thanks so much Bella. I'm really tired, so I'm going to head to bed now," she said with a stifled yawn. "Thanks again."

She said her goodbyes to the party and headed upstairs to where her room was. It was a spacious room for the tiny house. It had large windows facing the oak tree outside. The branches of the tree gently caressed the glass panels. Avery was sure that on a sunny day, the room would be beautiful. It was painted a pale pink, with empty bookshelves already set up. It touched her heart that Clara had gone through so much work. Avery discovered that she had a walk in closet, and her own bathroom. Her favorite part of the room was her new bed. It was a queen sized bed with a simple, low frame and a matching dark pink quilt. Clara had gone through a lot of work to make the room Avery's new home - and she appreciated every bit of it.

By the time she crawled into bed, she was exhausted. The events of the day washed over her, and suddenly hot tears were spilling down her cheeks. Something suddenly struck her as she lay in the silence with her eyes closed. No matter how much Clara, Jacob, Bella, Emily, or the whole of La Push and Forks would try, this would never be Avery Ross' home.

* * *

**A/N: I don't think I'm going to write another chapter this long. Read and review.**


	3. Loose Love

_'If loving were easy, it wouldn't be love.'_

Avery drifted off to a place in between sleep and consciousness - far from both realms. She did not dream, nor did she think. After what seemed like a few minutes, her eyelids fluttered open, anticipating the cheery sunlight she awoke to every morning back in Los Angeles. The honey orbs narrowed in contempt when the golden rays did not greet them.

_'It must be early,' _she thought, rolling over to look at the silver alarm clock in the shape of an owl she had taken with her. 6:30 a.m. She yawned and trudged towards the bathroom - mischief would be here in another hour. She couldn't help but frown at the thought of Bella Swan picking her up. For some reason, she did not like Bella. Fortunately, Avery Ross was an excellent actress.

She took her time getting ready for school, even opting for a bubble bath. She washed and blow dried her hair, shaved, lotioned - did everything meticulously and to a tee. She decided to splurge and apply a subtle layer of makeup. After a while, Avery wasn't even sure why she was taking so much care to go to school - it would only draw more unwanted attention to herself. None the less, she felt compelled to look somewhat presentable.

Avery crept downstairs, making every effort to do so quietly. She didn't want to wake up Clara, even if it meant cooking for herself. She was completely inept when it came to cooking.

"Oh." A soft sigh escaped her lips when she saw Clara's kitchen. It was a large spacious room with delightful aromas flitting about. Clara was up and about, preparing a mini feast with her small hands. They moved swiftly as they chopped up various vegetables to place in the omelette that was being prepared. The island in the middle of the room was adorned with bright yellow sunflowers that accented the pale yellow walls.

"You're a vegetarian, correct?" Clara asked, her back still to Avery. Her small hands moved quickly and adeptly on the cutting board, dicing the peppers in front of her swiftly. Memories of Avery's past flooded her mind - bringing her back to Clara's kitchen. It had been so many years Avery had almost forgotten - only one person had ever prepared her breakfast apart from herself.

"If memory serves me," the elderly lady added in response to Avery's silence. "I've never met someone who got sick by eating poultry and meat apart from you." Clara chuckled slightly before continuing, "Of course my granddaughter would be different."

Avery chuckled nervously. She wasn't used to being taken care of - nor did she want Clara to feel like she needed taking care of. She was perfectly capable of doing it herself. The thick aroma of sizzling vegetables wafted pass her delicate nose. Maybe, just maybe, a little pampering wouldn't hurt.

"How's your mother?" Clara asked, still tending to the stove.

"She's-" Avery paused, carefully thinking over her choice of words. "She's good," she settled on.

"I'm surprised she hasn't fallen apart, considering the circumstances," her grandmother replied knowingly. Avery knew Clara knew, she just didn't want to talk about it.

"Regardless, I think I'll get used to Forks. I miss my friends though," Avery admitted sheepishly.

"Are you still friends with the crazy one, Kristen?" Clara asked. Kiki, _The crazy one. _Avery laughed.

"Yes, grandmother. We're still friends. She told me to tell you hi, and to take care of me," she replied.

Clara placed a bowl of fruit and a glass of orange juice on the counter. She put the multicolored omelette on a plate, and pushed it towards Avery. She clapped, delighted with herself. "Breakfast is served." A warm smile spread over her small face - A smile she could not help but return despite Avery's despondent mood.

As Bella Swan's dirty, old truck pulled up in the driveway, Avery was glad she ate a healthy, hearty breakfast. She was going to need all the energy possible to survive today.

"Bye Cee," Avery said as she dashed towards the door.

"Cee?" Clara asked, her face wrinkled in confusion. Avery smiled, ducked out the door and shrugged on a long, dark black coat that she had no intentions of taking off.

"Hello," Bella said once Avery climbed in to the cab of her truck. Bella averted her gaze quickly and fumbled clumsily with the keys. The truck roared to the life and startled her. Avery could almost smell the waves of nervousness rolling off of Bella's body. It amused her.

"Hello, Bella. Thanks again for picking me up. I hope Edward's not too upset with me," Avery said with an endearing smile.

"Why would he be mad at you?" Bella asked hurriedly.

"Because, I stole you away from him this morning," Avery replied simply. "I'm sorry though, I was jumping to conclusions. I assumed he was the protective type." She could see when Bella relaxed as she drove along.

"He is," Bella sighed. "You have no clue."

"Really? Fill me in." Another smile. Bella shifted uncomfortably before proceeding to talk about Edward.

"Well, he just wants to keep me safe. I'm a complete klutz, I constantly trip over my own feet. I guess Edward keeps me grounded, picks me up before I even fall," she mused. To Avery, Bella sounded like her mother, talking about her father. The idea of her mother nauseated her.

"That's sweet," was all she could mutter lamely. She felt bad about leading Bella on to think that she wanted a conversation only to cut her off abruptly.

"So, why are you going to school in Forks if you live in La Push?" Bella asked timidly. She didn't strike Avery as the loquacious type, but at the same time she didn't want to offend her ride to school.

"Oh, Clara never told me but Jake said it's 'cause she said it'd be better for me."

"Jake? Jacob Black?" Avery nodded her head.

"You know him?" Another nod.

"How'd you meet him?"

"He came for me at the airport and showed me around La Push. Introduced me to his friends and such," Avery replied, observing Bella's face. It was twisted slightly in to a perturbed expression.

"Who'd you meet?"

"Quil, Embry, Paul, Seth, Leah, Sam, Emily-"

"He introduced you to Emily?" Bella asked, slightly appalled. Her eyebrows furrowed together, making her seem confused and upset.

"Yes," Avery said, struggling to hold her tongue. She would have preferred to flare up in Bella's face, asking her why it was any of her business, yet for some reason Washington had made her meek and mild - slightly impassive. It was almost like the weather was sucking the essence of her then releasing it in the form of vast, insipid clouds.

As they rounded what seemed to be the millionth green corner, Avery saw Forks High School. It wasn't large, like her previous school - but it certainly was quaint. And _green. _Avery scanned over the parking lot, observing various students as the filed in. She would stand out like a sore thumb, right down to her outfit of a black coat, and black boots. She immediately spotted Edward, waiting patiently for Bella with his family by the Volvo. However, it was not Edward who grasped her attention, it was Jasper. He was staring at her in the truck, his eyes hard and fierce as he wore an unreadable expression on her face. He had caught her staring. She quickly averted her gaze to the suddenly interesting stitches on her coat.

"Come meet Edward," Bella said with a smile. "He's eager to meet you." Avery's heart fell into her stomach, and she suddenly longed for a cigarette. She had dropped the habit of smoking, but she was suddenly eager for a 'feel good' drag.

She shook her long hair as she got out of the truck, and looked up to see Jasper glaring at her once more - his jaw and fists clenched. Avery refused to be intimidated by him and stared back with a look of indignation before looking away to something seemingly more worthy of her attention. On her first day of high school, she refused to be put into a sullen mood by a strange boy.

"Bella," Edward breathed. He kissed Bella's hair gently, yet protectively. Bella responded by blushing a deep beet red before turning to introduce me.

"This is Avery, from California. She's friends with Jacob. Avery, this is Edward."

"We're not friends, I just know him. Nice to meet you, Edward," I stuck my hand out, my tone of voice rigid. The very presence of Jasper made me feel on edge.

Edward chuckled slightly before shaking my hand with his own gloved. "Nice to meet you too, Avery."

"She's prettier than you described, Bella!" came a chiming voice. I looked over to see the short pixie, Alice, dancing gracefully towards us. Jasper followed behind her, keeping a distinct distance. The other two, Rosalie and Emmett followed too - yet Jasper lingered behind.

Alice was absolutely beautiful, and utterly peculiar. The way she moved was ethereal. She reminded Avery of the angels she had seen in books her father read her as a child - or the ones they showed on television.

"You must be Avery," she said, in her melodic voice. "I'm Alice."

"Hi Alice," she responded, trying to hide the amazement in her voice. She was pretty sure she had succeeded when Alice shot a quick, furtive glance in Edward's direction. He responded by closing his eyes. Avery found it unusual how in sync the group of them were. But then again, Avery was unusually paranoid.

"Your clothes are nice too," Alice continued, showering Avery with compliments.

"Thanks," she replied sheepishly.

"But I have one question, aren't your legs cold? Bared like that and all."

Avery looked down at her exposed, toned legs. "Kinda. But the cold keeps me alert."

Edward, Alice and Emmett snickered at some inside joke. Bella rolled her eyes, while Rosalie punched Emmett playfully in the shoulder. The brawny boy responded by shutting up and smiling mischievously. Avery could feel herself becoming annoyed by their antics. She hated inside jokes. She started to feel calm, though her thoughts protested. Her eyes wandered once more to Jasper, who was staring at away, a pained expression on his face. When his eyes met with Avery's, she scowled - shaking all feelings of tranquility away.

"Are you a junior?" Edward asked, his voice like soft and almost velvet-like.

"No, senior."

"You don't look old enough to be a senior. How old are you, like fourteen?" Emmett remarked. Rosalie laughed heartily, and Jasper chuckled under his breath. It was light, and sent involuntary shivers down Avery's spine.

Avery pouted and looked down as she tugged on a lock of her hair. "Iamnotfourteen," she muttered back, weakly and almost inaudibly. It sent Emmett laughing, and Rosalie into another fit. Avery peered up through the curtain of her hair to see Jasper smirking, with an almost capricious look on his face. It made her smile too.

"I turn seventeen soon," she corrected sheepishly.

"Smart and pretty, double threat," Rosalie said, sarcasm dripping in her voice.

"Triple if you count her amazing fashion sense," Alice added, coming closer to Avery. As she lifted up Avery's coat, gently examining it - a gentle breeze blew, sending Avery's hair whipping out in front of her. Alice stopped and closed her eyes, as if she were deep in thought, then reopened them. She quickly flitted to Jasper's side - his expression was now hard and rigid. Avery noticed the way Emmett and Rosalie had backed away too. She took it as her cue to leave.

"It was nice meeting you all, but I should probably go and get my class schedule," she said, politely excusing herself.

"Maybe you and Jasper might have a class together," Emmett called as Avery walked away. She turned around to catch Jasper slapping a laughing Emmett.

'_Of course he would relax when I'm not around,' _Avery thought bitterly. She crushed each pebble on the asphalt purposely as she walked across the parking lot. She hated Jasper. She hated everything about him, and she was absolutely certain of that. He was an abstruse, mercurial and overall confusion person. He was the type of person she hated - and she didn't have one conversation with him yet.

"Hi, I'm Avery Ross," she said, coming up to the front desk. The name plate lay gleaming on the hardwood - Mrs. Morris. She was a short, overweight lady with deep wrinkles that she only worsened by her constant frowning.

"Oh, welcome to Forks Avery. If you need help with anything, _please, _hesitate to ask," she said in an acrid tone without looking at Avery. She slid the paper across the counter purposefully, the sheet making a loud scratching sound on the polished mahogany.

Avery snatched the paper, causing the woman to look up until Avery's cold, hard expression. "If I do happen to have a question, I'll make sure to go to someone qualified." She turned and walked out of the office, feeling proud of herself. As she pushed through the doors into the corridor, she knocked into something hard. She fell back on her backside with a loud thud before her bag turned over, spilling her books everywhere.

"Shit, sorry," she mumbled, picking up the books frantically. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear hastily as she rambled on apologizing. "I should have looked where I was going, stupid me. It's just that damn woman in the office pissed me off with her stupid haughty attitude, damn self righteous secretaries on a power trip-"

"-It's okay, I understand." Her eyes met with a pair of onyx ones. She recognized the voice and a soft 'oh' escaped her mouth. Jasper was handing Avery's books back to her, and she was staring at him like an idiot. She couldn't help herself, he was even more beautiful up close. His features were delicate yet flawless, as if set in stone. His skin resembled porcelain, with even less color. On anyone else, the complexion would have made them look sickly, almost dead - yet it only served to amplify his handsome features. His strong jawline and full, rosy lips stood out, and she wanted nothing more than to touch them with her fingertips.

"Thank you," she whispered, taking the books carefully from him. He smiled politely before getting to his feet. She always seemed to lose her voice around him. It made her uneasy, and she was certain she had that expression plastered on her face.

"You're welcome. I hope your day gets better," he said, as he started to walk off. Avery looked at the back of his brown coat and somewhere, in the back of her mind, she secretly wished that Jasper had offered to walk her to class instead of walking away. As she took up her bags and went to her first class, AP English, she tried to convince herself otherwise.

Throughout the day, Avery felt like the shiny new toy. Various senior boys made a point of introducing themselves to Avery and showing her around (as if the school was _that _big). A number of juniors joined the line of 'randoms', and even a few sophomores had the audacity to hit on her. Avery found it all very, _very _irritating. By lunch, she had decided that Forks High was a repulsive, mediocre school and her remaining year there would be hell. As she entered the cafeteria, she scanned the room for the table furthest to the back. After frowning at the cafeteria's lack of a vegetarian menu, she settled for a green apple. It was sour, hard and tart - exactly the way she liked it.

As she sat picking at the apple carefully, one of the boys that she vaguely remembered meeting pulled up a seat next to her.

"Is that all your having to eat?"

"Yes," she said curtly, nibbling on a small piece of apple. She looked up with a peculiar expression on her face, observing the strange boy.

"My name's Jordan, if you've already forgotten it." As the hour continued, Avery found that she rather liked Jordan. He wasn't stunningly beautiful, but he was handsome. His cheeks colored when he laughed, and his deep chocolate hair fell in uneven curls onto the top of his eyebrows. To top it all off, he had large, child like eyes that lit up every time Avery spoke. He reminded her of a golden retriever. Within sixty minutes, she learned his favorite color, his pets, his favorite movie, foods, family history, and his future career path To her dismay, Avery had no classes with Jordan. The school had designed a special intensive art program specifically for him - to keep him from getting bored. He would be going off to RISD next year, while Avery would be.. somewhere.

"Do you have a ride home?" he asked as he got to his feet, taking her tray from in front of her. Avery couldn't help but smile at his paint stained jeans.

"No, I figured I would wonder around town a bit before I find my way back home," she replied as they exited the cafeteria. She saw Jordan's mouth move as if to protest and she held up a hand to stop him. "I know what you're going to say, Forks is small and there isn't much to explore. I'm new, let me find that out for myself." He rolled his eyes and smiled.

"At least let me walk you to your next class." Avery nodded.

"Are you seeing anyone?" he asked finally, as they stood outside of Avery's classroom. She let out a heavy, exasperated sigh.

"Considering I just moved here? No," Avery said, rolling her eyes. He stood, slightly embarrassed. Color flooded his cheeks, and Avery felt bad for being so snippy towards him. "But you could come over tonight if you wanted, watch movies with me or something."

He let out a groan. "Tonight's bad. I have to babysit my little sister. I'll definitely hold you to that though," he said with a smile as he started to walk off. Avery was slightly disappointed, she did enjoy being around Jordan. She slipped into her French class quietly, and sat towards the back, hoping she would attract no more attention. The feeling of hopelessness and being lost overwhelmed her once more, as it did the moment she arrived in La Push, and even more so Forks. Nothing was getting better in this hell town.

The day went back slowly, second by second. As the final bell rang, Avery was reluctant to leave the school right away. She had even gone out of her way to stay after class with her French teacher, Mr. Bolt, claiming she needed help catching up, despite the fact that she was already fluent in the language. When she had finished, it was already four-thirty.

"There's nothing I can do about it, Alice," a voice hissed as she grew closer to the rear exit of the school. "It's none of my business."

"What do you mean it's none of your business? It has everything to do with you, _Jasper,_" came Alice's light voice. It had a foreign edge to it.

"You're too loud," Jasper snapped back. He turned to exit the school when he stopped abruptly. He turned his head purposely in Avery's direction and scowled with hate before pushing through the doors. Alice started after him before she realized Avery was there.

"Oh, hello Avery," she said cheerily. "How was your first day at Forks?" Alice danced over to her in graceful movements. Avery was temporarily mesmerized by the pixie's dance. All Alice was missing was the tutu to be in a ballet.

"Good, thanks," Avery replied, her voice matching Alice's cheerful tone. "I had French with Bolt. I needed a bit of help catching up, since my school's curriculum was different."

"Really? I took French in my Freshman year. Bolt's a really good teacher though. He loves oral reports on foods." Alice lead the way outside, chirping as they walked into the parking lot. Avery fumbled with her hair before scraping it back into a bun, trying to focus as Alice's lips moved at what seemed to be a million miles per hour. Her thoughts were constantly drifting back to Jasper, and it aggravated her.

"Are you okay?" Alice finally asked, after Avery had been silent for a period of time.

"Yes," she said with a weak smile.

"How are you getting home?" _Bless Alice's heart._

"Uh, I dunno yet. Don't worry about me though," Avery said, glancing at the Cullens who were waiting eagerly by their silver volvo and truck, waiting on Alice.

"It's no problem, really. Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper can go with Edward and I'll take you home. Where do you live?" she insisted, a broad smile on her face.

"La Push." Her smile immediately fell. I frowned slightly at her reaction.

"C'mon Alice." Jasper had walked over, tugging impatiently at Alice's arm. "I want to go home. Now." On the last word, Jasper sneered slightly, his black irises raking over Avery as if she were dirt, scum, and unworthy of standing in his presence.

"I'm sorry Avery, maybe another time?" she said with an apologetic smile as she started towards her car.

"Yeah, no problem," Avery waved after her. It _was _a problem. The breeze had picked up, and her legs were freezing. As she started walking towards the town of Forks, a car pulled up beside her, a familiar Rabbit.

"Hop in, munchkin." Jacob Black. Avery smiled and slid into the passenger seat of the car, shivering slightly. Jacob placed a large hand on top of Avery and squeezed it slightly before letting go. She took in a sharp breath of air, reveling at the warmth Jacob Black emitted. It seemed to fill the whole region, making her skin smolder. "What did _they _want with you?" He motioned with his head to where Alice was.

"Alice was offering me a ride home." Jacob snorted.

"_That _I would have liked to see."

Avery only rolled her eyes and pressed her small nose against the window, observing as the sea of green began to dwindle, a sign that they were close to La Push. The car ride was quiet after. She didn't pursue conversation, and neither did Jacob. For some reason, she didn't want to talk. As she stared intently at the odd mixture of blue and yellow, her mind drifted back to Jasper's dark, hateful eyes. It made her feel cold all over again.

"We're home," Jacob said sheepishly.

"Thanks Jake. Could you take me home tomorrow too if it's not a problem?" His eyes seemed to light up at this proposition.

"Of course."

Avery smiled and headed inside the house. She yelled a brief 'hello' to Clara before retreating to her room, to do something completely erratic.

She tore out a piece of paper, and her favorite red inked pen. In her small, neat script, she headed up the paper and began writing:

_Reasons to hate Jasper Hale/Reasons he is completely incompatible with me._

_1. He hates me for no reason. I've been nothing but polite to him. _

_2. He's too pale. It's freaky._

_3. Any boy that good looking must be conceited. That explains why he hates me, he thinks he's too good for me. Bastard._

_4. His moods are bipolar._

_5. He's not tall enough. It doesn't matter that he's taller than me by nearly 7 inches, he's still too short._

_6. He's blonde. Maybe he has a superiority complex and thinks blondes are better than brunettes. I'm not even a brunette. Well, am I? I don't know. It's like a red brown. AT LEAST JACOB LIKES MY RED BROWN HAIR._

_7. He's an arrogant prick who's always laughing at me._

She tapped impatiently, while retracing 8. She had run out of reasons.


	4. Fractured

_I can make your heart slow,_

_I can feel the weather in my bones._

She was running. She didn't know what she was running from, but adrenaline was coursing through her veins, painfully pushing her forward. She recognised where was instantly - First Beach. She was running on the strip of land that had not been claimed by the relentless moss, between the forest and the beach. As she ran, she saw Clara standing next to a large, russet wolf that sat by her side dutifully.

"Clara!" she yelled, but no sound came out. Her hands reached up to her throat tenderly, as she tried again to scream out. Her attempts were futile.

"Honey, it's going to be okay," Clara said soothingly, as the large wolf got to its feet, growling. She seemed to be in a daze or trance.

"Move Clara! The wolf-" her legs gave way underneath her, and she fell to the floor with a painful thud. Avery winced in pain and looked down at her bleeding knees. She was determined to get to her grandmother, to save her from the large, dangerous wolf. She attempted to get to her feet, but found something pulling her back down. Around her ankles were vines, wrapped tighter and tighter as they crawled up her body, slowly pulling her towards the woods.

"Clara! Help me!" Avery tried to scream out again as she thrashed and whimpered as the vines progressed up her body, slithering around her torso and pulling her with more force. She clawed at the ground repeatedly, feeling desperately for something to hold on to and escape the vines - Her attempts were futile as dirt slid between her fingers.

"Don't fight it honey, it's going to be okay," her grandmother reiterated. Hot tears were streaming down Avery's face now as she panicked, her lungs being crushed.

"Jacob, help me!" she mouthed frantically. The large wolf raised its head, stopped growling and looked at her sympathetically, its large black eyes piercing into her soul.

"Help me," she whispered to the wolf. "Save me." Avery looked behind her at last, to see where in the woods the vines would be dragging her off to. Her eyes met with a pair of crimson red ones, belonging to Jasper Hale. He was bone white and smiling at her in a predator-like manner. Long fangs stood out against his face.

The wolf gave out a heart breaking howl, more like a cry.

Avery woke up, panting - her heart threatening to burst from her rib cage. She padded across the floor towards her mirror, to double check everything was in place. She touched her torso, grazed her legs, gingerly traced the outline and grooves of her collarbones and neck, then explored the contours of her face with her fingertips. Her hair was still long and messy, her limbs still in tact, her eyes still large and brown. She was still alive. It also dawned on her that it would be the weekend soon. Back home, she would have started her weekend from Thursday night, and ended it at about midday on Monday. Weekends in La Push started at about seven on a Friday, after everyone had finished doing their chores, continued into Saturdays, paused on Sunday mornings and proceeded until about ten in the night. In other words, it was completely different, and completely boring. She opted for smarter, more weather appropriate clothing - a pair of jeans, a large red hoodie given to her by Adam, and a pair of matching red converses. She would skip on all the preparations. Today, she wanted to fade away.

"Avery, pick up the phone," came Clara's voice. She hadn't even heard the phone ring as she went out into the hall to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" she asked groggily.

"Good morning sunshine," came Jacob Black's cheery voice.

"Jacob? It's rude to call people's houses at ungodly hours of the morning," Avery snapped, annoyed at Jacob's amusement.

"In that case, I won't offer certain people a ride to school," he rebutted smugly. Avery went quiet. "Be ready in five minutes. I hate sitting and waiting on people." With that, the line went dead.

Avery ran across to the window in her bedroom, only to see Jacob leaned up against his rabbit, beaming up at her. She rolled her eyes and went downstairs.

"Clara! Can you believe the nerve of that Black boy?" Avery flared, as she approached the kitchen.

Clara chuckled, settting a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in front of her granddaughter. "Can I just get a muffin please, Cee? Jacob's waiting on me."

"He's taking you to school?" Clara asked, doing a poor job of hiding the fact that she knew already as she retrieved the muffins from the oven.

"Like you didn't know," Avery accused, taking the muffin from her. "You're all conspiring against me," she said through a mouth full of banana-nut as she trotted towards the door.

"We just want the best for you honey! Give Jacob a chance!" Clara called from the kitchen.

Avery rolled her eyes as she walked through the door towards Jacob. His eyes were already fixed on her, his face lighting up as she met his gaze. His face contorted itself into the same expression he had the very first time he saw her: his eyes widened with adoration, while still emitting the feel of wonder and amazement. His lips curled up into a small, warm smile that sent a cluster of butterflies to life in her stomach.

"You need to stop looking at me like I'm a piece of meat, Black. It makes you seem desperate," Avery said sardonically.

"Whatever floats your boat, Ross," Jacob replied light-heartedly, ignoring Avery's acrid behaviour. In one swift motion, he snatched her muffin from her before she could bite it again. His eyes flickered with mischief as he took a bite, backing away slowly. "Mmm, banana nut."

"Jacob Black. You did not steal my muffin," Avery said, slowly walking forward, her voice dripping with venom. Jacob nodded and smiled before taking another mocking bite. Jacob ran, without Avery following closely behind. They flitted around the rabbit, darting between nearby trees before flat out sprinting.

"Jacob!" Avery whined when he lifted the muffin above his head, out of her reach. "Giveithere!" He giggled when she jumped after it. He turned to the left as she jumped to the right, causing her to momentarily lose her balance.

"Jerk," she muttered to her feet, out of breath.

"Aw, don't be sad sugar," he said, his voice husky as he came closer. He handed her back the muffin, a large piece of it missing, timidly - his large black eyes apologetic. She took the muffin from him with a sheepish smile, a sign that his apology was accepted.

"Did you make any friends?" Jake asked once they were inside of the rabbit.

"Yup, some kid named Jordan. He's nice."

"Oh," Jake replied, frowning.

"I met the Cullens and Hales too." His jaw went rigid and his grip on the wheel tightened as his frown turned into a downright scowl. "Bella introduced me to them after she took me to school yesterday." A muscle in his neck twitched, and he repeated the idiosyncratic motion of rotating his neck to stay calm.

"You're upset," Avery accused quietly. Jacob did not reply. "Why is that? Is it Bella?" She paused, waiting for an answer, but continued to push Jacob. "Is it the Cullens? Or the Hales-"

"-One day," Jacob interrupted, through clenched teeth, "I'll explain it all to you. I don't think now is the right time."

Avery nodded solemnly and redirected her attention to the road. She glanced over at Jacob every now and then during the silent ride to Forks High School, quietly observing the boy. The creases in his forehead had eased, leaving him with a melancholy demeanour. His full, rose coloured lips were pulled downwards slightly, his eyes half lidded and pensive while he drove. It was apparent that his thoughts were far from the road.

'_Doesn't this boy know what would happen if something suddenly came out at him on the road?_ ' Avery thought to herself. _Boy. _Was Jacob even a boy anymore? Could someone of his stature still be considered a boy? He had boyish expressions. He had a boyish smile. He claimed to have a boyish age. But not many things about Jacob Black reminded Avery of a boy. Her eyes wondered down to his black shirt clad chest. The contours of his muscle were visible through the cotton layer as he breathed deeply, obviously trying to maintain control. Her eyes raked over his long, toned arms and explored the creases between as they ventured down to his large hands. Jacob's body entranced Avery - she wanted nothing more than to reach out and let her fingertips graze his skin, to feel how smooth the powerful limbs were...

"We're here," Jacob said tersely, snapping Avery out of her trance.

"Oh. Thanks again," Avery said distantly. She got out of the car and started towards the school quickly, embarrassed by her behaviour towards Jacob.

"Wait, wait Avery!" She stopped and took a deep breath. Her breath hitched when Jacob's large hands wrapped around her arms and turned her to face her, ever so gently.

"Avery, I'm sorry about how I behaved earlier. I need you to trust me when I say that this is hard for me, and that one day, hopefully soon, I'll explain everything to you. Can you trust me?" Avery heard the pleading in his voice and her heart swelled and ached for him at that very instance. But Avery Ross' heart did not swell, stretch, yearn or ache.

"Jacob Black, you're one strange boy. Picking me up later?" Avery asked as she started off again toward the school while walking backward. She cocked an eyebrow at Jacob, daring him to challenge her well executed change of the subject.

"Sure," he called before climbing back into the rabbit, shaking his head slightly while doing so.

Avery spun around and came face to face with Jasper. Under normal circumstances, she would have proceeded to knock into him, but in an uncharacteristic move brought about by her amusement, she turned quickly on the point of her toe, angling her body out of the way of Jasper's. Her arm knocked into his with force, causing the books in her hand to fall.

"Fuck!" she cursed loudly, causing people to turn and stare. She clutched her wrist, grimacing in pain. "What are you made of Hale? Concrete?!"

"I am so sorry, Avery," Jasper said in his smooth, deep voice. It was slightly accented, like someone from the south. He deftly picked up her books before coming to her side. "I should have watched where I was going. Are you badly injured?"

Avery bit down on her lip and nodded, glancing at her wrist. "We should probably take you to the nurse. Will you be okay walking?" Another nod. He took her bag from her, and held out his elbow to escort her to the nurse's office.

The nurse touched Avery's wrists in ways that caused her to curse vehemently under her breath out of earshot of the older woman - However, Jasper heard and chuckled accordingly. After a series of excruciating feels, Nurse Palacio came to a conclusion.

"Looks like you broke it lil' missy," she said, chewing on her gum lazily.

"Broke? I just bumped into Jasper. That's impossible."

"Nurse Palacio, I believe Avery's a bit delirious from all the pain. I knocked into her causing her to fall on the ground on her wrist. Is it possible to get her any sedatives, or asprin for the pain before she can go to the hospital?" Jasper asked courteously. Nurse Palacio nodded, dutifully bustling after painkillers.

"Jasper. I hit into your arm, I didn't fall," Avery said indignantly.

"Nurse, the painkillers? I feel obliged to take her to the hospital as well. Doctor Cullen wouldn't mind seeing her," he said, interrupting Avery tactfully.

"'Course Jasper, that'd be lovely!" Nurse Palacio exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Avery felt a mixture of annoyance and pain fill her chest, causing it to constrict erratically. Jasper's glanced over at her nervously when she inhaled sharply. "Here you go deary, just take two of these so it'll make it easier before you can go see the Doc'." Avery took the two white tablets from the nurse, her eyes still fixed on Jasper as she put them to her mouth. Jasper was uneasy, he was anxious. He was _scared, _and it was rolling off him in almost visible waves to Avery.

"To the doctor's then, yeah?" Avery said in a cheery tone, getting to her feet, waiting for Jasper to escort her again. He offered her the crook of his arm, a puzzled expression plastered on his face as they walked through the hallway towards the parking lot.

Avery observed Jasper shamelessly during their walk. She would allow him to catch her staring, and fearlessly make eye contact. His eyes were a liquid gold, with amber and bronze flecks swirling inside. They reminded Avery of the very first pendant William had given her mother, as a symbol of his courtship. It was a 14 karat gold necklace with a large, extravagant topaz stone, surrounded by diamonds; Avery always thought of it as gaudy and tacky. She wasn't sure whether she should be repulsed by the similarity and the memories it brought, or the fact that human beings were born with such an unusual colour.

"Your eyes are a peculiar colour," she mused as they approached a silver volvo.

"Yes," he said, his lips twitching slightly. "It runs in my family." A small smirk appeared as he opened the door for her. Avery winced and let out a low gasp as she lowered herself into the car, her wrist grazing the side of the door.

"You really are a delicate little thing, aren't you Avery?" he teased, a small smile flitting about his lips.

She looked back at him, her expression impassive as he entered the car "Not all of us were meant to be invincible, Jasper." His lips hardened into a fine line, considering her words. The silence that ensued during the ride was deafening. Avery occasionally felt Jasper's eyes on her, yet she kept her own politely plastered to the scenery outside.

'_It's so green,' _she thought dejectedly, trying to keep her mind off the gorgeous man next to her. _'One green tree, two green tree, three green tree-' _Her counting was interrupted by Jasper clearing his throat, an indication that he wanted to talk now.

"How has your transition to Forks been?" he asked, his tone polite and reserved.

Avery made a small humming sound from the back of her throat as she angled herself towards Jasper. She ran two fingers through her hair absent minded motion before answering his question.

"Hm, it's been odd. In about 4 days I've made two friends, Jacob Black and this other kid Jordan, the one that's into art?" Jasper nodded stiffly while Avery's fingers continued to comb her long hair, sending strands of it whipping out. "I don't like the school though and-" she stopped abruptly, a frown on her face as she wrapped her hair onto the top of her hair roughly.

"Are you always this stiff around everyone, Jasper Hale?" she demanded, struggling to hide how annoyed she was with his robotic behaviour.

"Excuse me, I have no manners today," he said apologetically.

'_A true gentleman,' _Avery thought sardonically. "You seem nervous around me." The way his lip twitched and eyes fell were a confirmation of her suspicions.

"You know," she said, taking the silence as an invitation to continue. "I can understand when you're quiet, or awkward around me, but certainly not nervous. I'm not that scary." She added the last line rather timidly. It caused Jasper to break out of his rigid form with laughter.

"You're very perceptive," he said as a compliment. "Doctor Cullen will like you."

"Is he your father?"

"I was adopted." The line seemed rehearsed and overused to Avery. His face was too impassive for it to be the truth in her eyes.

"Really now?"

"Really," he replied, tearing his eyes away from the road to look into hers. The motion was one to intimidate her - Jasper's hard eyes demanded that she asked no more questions about his family, or question their relationship, _if she knew what was good for her. _Avery glared at back at Jasper, silently fuming, but obliged. She would ask no further questions about the Cullens or Hales.

Doctor Cullen was a perfect gentleman - Avery saw where Jasper learned his manners from. He didn't look a day over the age of twenty four, but insisted that he was an old man. He smiled warmly as he lead Avery to get an X-ray, making light conversation throughout the whole episode.

"You just moved to Forks, I hear," he said as they returned to his office.

"Yes. Jasper told you?"

"No, Alice. She was eager to tell me about the new girl with an amazing fashion sense from Los Angeles when I came home." Avery chuckled once the thought of Alice animatedly chattering about her came up.

"I didn't know I was a topic of interest."

"Any girl that manages to break her wrist on her fourth day in Forks is interesting," Jasper added as he fell in stride with his father. Avery resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him when he smiled over at her.

She quickly discovered that plaster was extremely irritating. She found that having her hand in a cast was extremely irritating. She found having her wrist set into place was _painfully _irritating. Jasper Hale and his creepy stares were extremely irritating. A number of extremely irritating events ensued at the hospital.

"The hospital requires that you call your parents and have them come down here, we need their consent to give you medication," Doctor Cullen said finally, after her hand had been put into a cast. "Also, do you have any dietary restrictions I should know about before I prescribe painkillers?"

"Um, I'm a vegetarian. Does that count as a restriction?"

Doctor Cullen chuckled. "Hardly. My whole family has gone vegetarian. Jasper is the most recent to join us on our venture though."

Avery stole a glance at Jasper, whose knuckles were clenched together tightly, stretching his ivory skin into a thin sheet of hate over his knuckles. He caught Avery looking at him, and feigned a laugh.

"My grandma lives all the way in La Push, and I really don't want to bother her over my wrist," Avery said, thinking about frail Clara having to come all the way up to Forks. "Could I just ask a family friend to come get me, and you could speak with her over the phone or something?" Doctor Cullen nodded, and she scribbled Clara's number on a piece of paper and handed it over to the Doctor. He left the room, leaving Avery and Jasper alone.

There was a period of long silence before Jasper broke it. "I'm very sorry about your wrist."

Avery nodded, acknowledging his apology. Another period of silence followed as she willed Jasper to leave the room. Why was he even bothering to stay with her?

Almost as if he read her mind, Jasper said, "I feel responsible for your wrist. At least this way I won't feel as guilty when I see you in a cast for the next six weeks." Avery bit down on her lip to keep herself from laughing, but burst out into a fit of giggles once she saw Jasper smirking at her.

"It really is okay Jasper. Accidents happen."

"Allow me to make it up to you." It sounded more like a question. _This boy really knew how to drastically change the mood._ Avery fidgeted a bit, suddenly uncomfortable. It wasn't like good looking guys hadn't asked her out before, they had - many of them. But they all wanted the same thing at the end of the day, something she wouldn't give. They all lost interest afterwards, and Avery was sure someone who looked like Jasper was no different.

"That's probably not a good idea, since I just moved here and all," she mumbled lamely, barely looking at him. He nodded in agreement.

"It's probably for the better."

"Avery, a Jacob Black is here for you," Doctor Cullen said, his bright face popping through the doorway of the tiny room. He handed her a prescription for painkillers and anti inflammatory medication.

"Thanks again Doctor Cullen," she said as she got to her feet. "Thank you, Jasper." The look on Jasper's face had her taken aback. His lips were back into a thin, hard line, but his eyes were the ones to betray him and convey his emotions - He was torn. Avery was unsure of what though. _Is he really that upset about me turning him down?_

"I'll see you tomorrow at school?" she added, hoping for a better reaction from him.

He gave her a small smile before nodding. Content with his answer, she skipped out of the room towards Jacob.

"Are you okay?" Jacob's words came in a flurry, she had barely reached in the waiting room of the hospital. "Did they hurt you? Oh god, Avery." She suddenly felt heat all around her - Jacob had swooped her up against his chest into a tight embrace.

"Jake, air..." she choked out.

"Oh god, I'm sorry," he said, setting her down but keeping his hands firmly on her shoulders. His voice took on a serious tone as he asked again if they had hurt her.

"No, I ran into Jasper and fell on my wrist pretty hard. Doctor Cullen fixed it for me though," Avery said proudly in a childlike manner, holding up the cast for display with a beaming smile.

Jacob let out a deep sigh before holding out his arm for Avery to take it. "Could you do me a favour, Avery Ross?"

"Sure, Jacob Black," she said, mocking his tone as they sauntered out, arm in arm from the hospital.

"Keep yourself in one piece."

Avery turned and saluted him once they had reached the rabbit. He laughed heartily, and it sent a cluster of butterflies to life in Avery's stomach again, causing her to smile sheepishly back at him. They chattered idly as the rabbit rolled on the long, winding stretch of road that lead from Forks to La Push.

Avery stood awkwardly under Jacob's gaze. He towered over her, it could not be more emphasised than now when they stood under the doorway. She seemed like a nervous little girl in comparison to Jacob's smooth, silent confidence. She took too much interest in her finger nails at that point, and she had to wonder when she had become such a nervous wreck around guys.

"I should be going," Jacob said, cutting the tension in the air. Avery's heart clenched slightly.

"You could stay if you want, decorate my cast and all. Clara wouldn't mind."

His face broke into a large smile. "If you insist."


	5. Tidal Wave

_You only hold me up like this,_

_'cause you don't know who I really am._

_

* * *

_

Jacob took up a lot of space, yet it comforted Avery - someone who had always longed for space. His arms and legs were long, with lengths of muscles cascading over the bones, and it absolutely intrigued her. Granted, Clara was ecstatic about the idea of Jacob spending the afternoon with Avery, especially when the old woman glimpsed at the cast.

"If there's one thing I wished you inherited from your mother, is her poise. You're a walking wrecking ball, Avery," Clara said before retreating upstairs. She left Avery and Jacob alone in the family room.

Avery found it difficult to concentrate on the television with Jacob in such close proximity. Initially, they sat next to the couch, their thighs touching. This caused Avery to shift her weight every five point three six seconds in an attempt to reach the other side of the couch. After a minute, she found herself leaning precariously away from Jacob. He also found sitting on the couch uncomfortable and resorted to taking a pillow off the couch and sitting on the ground, stretching his legs out.

"You like this movie?" he asked, after flipping through nearly one hundred channels. Avery wasn't even focusing on the television - Her eyes flitted between the screen and Jacob too often to register anything that was happening. She looked up from his thick black hair to the horror movie on the screen.

"Never heard of it."

"Oh, well apparently this one is about this farmer who abandoned his dog, and the dog died but was brought back to life by this radioactive flea right, so now the dog is like this werewolf zombie crossbreed seeking revenge." His hands gesticulations were amusing, coupled with his vivacity. "Pretty cool, huh?" he said, looking up at Avery with a mischievous grin.

Avery rolled her eyes and scoffed before moving closer to where Jacob's head was resting against the couch. "What is it with you and dogs?"

"They're really nice animals you know, Ave," he said pointedly.

"Really now? I don't see what's so lovely about a creature that slobbers everywhere," she rebutted.

"Tisk, tisk, Miss Ross. With that sort of resentment towards dogs, you might have a werewolf coming after you."

Avery made a show of gasping in faux fear, causing Jacob to chuckle heartily. The sound of his laughter sent blood rushing to her cheeks, causing Avery to look away quickly at the screen.

She wasn't sure at what point in the movie or time it happened, but she found herself sitting on the ground, with Jacob's head resting between her legs. Her fingers moved with a mind of their own - weaving in and out of the black locks, marvelling at the soft texture. She had stopped paying attention to the movie all together, even though her eyes dared not move from the screen; If they did, they would probably note how close the boy was to her. Avery would fidget or shiver when gore filled scenes came on, and Jacob would timidly reach up and graze her arms with his hot finger tips. They were strangely soothing.

"You're a big baby," Jacob said when Avery turned away, shutting her eyes tightly. The werewolf zombie crossbreed had just killed the farmer's horse, biting down on the head with a sickening crunch. Jacob turned his face towards Avery, biting his lip to prevent him from laughing.

"You're rude," she said, slapping him lighting on the head with her un-plastered hand.

He stuck out his tongue at her, and she moved to slap him again. As she lowered her hand, he took it in his own. Avery's confusion heightened when he gently ran his fingers through hers, before resting his cheek against it.

"What do you think you're doing, Jacob?"

"I'm tired. Your hand is comfortable."

"Mr Black, you are not falling asleep on my hand," she said tugging it away. She would never admit to a living soul, that Jacob's skin felt heavenly against hers. "You should probably get going though, it's getting late."

"You're right," he mumbled sleepily.

He groaned as he got to his feet to stretch. The sun was setting, casting a radiant glow on his already copper skin. He looked angelic, beaming down at Avery with an outstretched hand. She took it with her good hand, quietly marvelling at the warmth the boy in front of her radiated.

"I really should get a job so I can start saving towards a car," she said as they walked towards the front door.

"But that would mean I wouldn't get to pick you up anymore." Avery looked at him with an expression that said, _that's the point, genius. _He chuckled before continuing, "but then, what excuse would I have to come and see you every day?"

"Har, har, Black," she said, averting her eyes from his playful yet intense gaze.

"Or is the Rabbit not _manly _enough for you? Is this another insult on my manhood?" he said with a gasp, batting his eyelashes and placing a hand over his heart.

Avery giggled at his flamboyant expression. "It's not that, I just don't want to impose."

"Well for the time being, I vote you impose. So imposition-ing it is," he said with a broad smile as he stepped through the doorway towards his car. She watched his tall frame saunter down the driveway, exuding happiness from every pore.

Avery gave him a small smile before retreating inside of the house, hoping her stomach would stop doing back flips. "You are not an acrobat," she said quietly, looking down and scolding the expanse of flat abdomen.

"You know, you used to think you were one." Avery jumped at the sound of her grandmother's voice. The tiny woman was now in the kitchen, busy at work making dinner. "When you were about six," she clarified.

"I used to think I could have the world when I was young. How far did that get me?" Avery held up her arm to show the scar she had received from falling on a sharp rock while trying to do a somersault.

"It's still yours for the taking," Clara objected timidly without tearing her gaze from the vegetables she was preparing for a Shepard's pie. Avery wondered into the kitchen, taking her 'usual' position at the island.

"You know, Jacob Black really is a lovely boy. I've known him almost all his life," Clara added after a long silence.

"Oh really," Avery said, disinterested in where in the conversation was now going.

"Yes, really. I think he might have a bit of a crush on you." Avery ignored that statement and began tearing at a piece of stray paper.

"How do you feel about him?"

"I think he's just a boy, being nice to someone who just moved here. He doesn't have a crush on me, he's just being friendly," Avery snapped impatiently at her grandmother.

"Fine then," Clara said, putting down the knife with a bit of force, causing it to make a sharp clang. "Let's say _hypothetically _speaking, Jacob Black liked you. What would you say to that, _hypothetically_?"

"Well, _hypothetically, _I would advise him not to like me, and find some other girl. I'm not right for him by any stretch of the imagination. He's a boy scout, I just missed being a juvenile delinquent. He screams happiness and sunshine, I'm a bitter, dogmatic person."

"Maybe you're changing, honey," Clara cooed, reaching out to touch her granddaughter soothingly.

"Or maybe people here are just too _dense _to see past this stupid facade!" Avery said, raising her voice and getting to her feet. "Who the hell am I kidding, Clara? I'm not going to change, and this stupid god forsaken place isn't going to change me either! Melanie didn't send me here to change me for the better, she sent me here so she'd have her hands free to do whatever the fuck she wants to!"

Clara looked taken aback by her granddaughter's outburst. The elderly woman pursed her lips together tightly, her eyes brimming with tears. Avery immediately regretted what she said.

"People don't change," Avery added quietly as she retreated to her bedroom, feeling some sense of remorse at hurting Clara's feelings.

Granted, that didn't last long as Avery Ross was not one to be considerate of other peoples' feelings. She was a self centred human being, whose thoughts always gravitated back to herself. This time was no different. As she closed the blinds in her room and stripped down to her underwear, all she could think about was herself. And how horrible she was. How cold hearted, and hurtful she was. How she would shut out every and anyone who tried to help her. Thinking back on the events of the evening, it wasn't hard for her to figure out why Jacob would ever consider liking her - She was leading him on. That was unfair to him. She would end up hurting him. It would be much easier to severe the ties from early on to spare the boy the heartache, or save some time. Because, that's what Avery Ross was - a waste of time.

She soon heard the lulling sound of the ocean. Somewhere in the distance, waves were breaking against the shore. Avery empathised with the waves, her own storm was waging in her head. The deep blue depths of her thoughts were collecting and rising in a conglomerated confusion, before crashing down destructively on the vulnerable shoreline. That was the last thought before the tidal wave of her mind hit, forcing her into the unconsciousness she called "sleep" - That she was a waste.


End file.
